Hamburg's St. Pauli is set to make a triumphant return to Germany's top-tier football league, the Bundesliga, after a 13-year hiatus. The club's promotion was secured following a decisive 3-1 victory over relegated VfL Osnabrück on Sunday. The win, marked by a double strike from Oladapo Afolayan and a goal from Marcel Hartel, has placed St. Pauli at the top of the second division with an unassailable six-point lead over third-place Fortuna Düsseldorf.
The victory sparked jubilant celebrations at the Millerntor Stadium, a stone's throw from Hamburg's famous red-light district. Fans stormed the pitch, reveling in the victory under a clear blue sky. "I'm so happy for the team, for the whole city. We've earned it," said St. Pauli coach Fabian Hürzeler. "The success comes from hard work."
St. Pauli, a club with a unique identity, is synonymous with the pirate skull-and-crossbones flag, a symbol popularized by fans who identified as punks. The flag was first carried by squatters who lived nearby and became a hit when the supporters opened an independent fan shop in 1989. The club eventually purchased the licensing rights in 2000 and co-opted it as an official emblem.
This promotion marks St. Pauli's sixth ascension to the Bundesliga, with previous promotions in 1977, ‘88, ’95, 2001, and ’10. The club's last stint in the top division was short-lived, lasting just one season before being relegated in 2011. The upcoming season will be its ninth in the Bundesliga, and it will be the first time that St. Pauli will play in a league above city rival Hamburger SV.
Hamburger SV, the longest surviving founding member of the Bundesliga, was relegated in 2018 and will spend another season in the second division. Meanwhile, Holstein Kiel, one point behind St. Pauli, secured its first-ever promotion to the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The top two teams in the second division are promoted, while the third-place finisher – now certain to be Düsseldorf – will face a two-leg playoff against the team that finishes third from bottom in the Bundesliga. The playoffs are scheduled for May 23 and 27.
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